Monday, October 29, 2012

THE TRUE NATIONAL LEADERS

"Let me write the songs of a nation: I don't care who writes the laws." Andrew Fletcher, Scottish Politician

When he first took office I used to hear news about Governor Powes Parkop's vision to clean the city and the people's mindsets by the year 2012. That year is coming to an end now. How have we fared? Have we changed? He posed the question to a workshop of certain middle level bureaucrats: "How do we get people to change their mindsets and attitude?" Indeed: "HOW?"

Mindsets and attitude cannot be legislated or regulated into form. They exist freely of the external things we set up ourselves to control society. The conscience is the freest component of a human person. Inserted and guaranteed by God Himself. I could even say that the freedom of conscience is a freedom more precious than liberty itself. Throughout history and even today people have sacrificed their physical freedom and even the lives to keep their consciences. And the most powerful of people have been those who have been able to permeate people's conscience.

Leadership, I heard from Myles Munroe, is the ability to influence human behaviour. Human behaviour is a product of the human conscience. Leadership is therefore the ability to influence the human conscience to such an extent as it affects human behaviour.

All these considered, I have concluded who the REAL leaders of this nation are. They are not the Prime Ministers, the Members of Parliament, or the nation's top bureaucrats. They are not the ones who possess power or control over vast amounts of money or land, or people. They are not those who have many wives and massive wealth; or who drive successful businesses and expensive vehicles.

For me the true leaders are smaller people. They probably live with relatives because they can't afford rentals. Maybe they make their homes in settlements. They possibly have small blue-collar jobs that they struggle through every day. But they are famous people. Known and loved by many who share the same everyday experiences as they do. They are the local songwriters, singers, poets, writers and the storytellers. But I'll focus on the songwriters and singers because that segment of the arts has more dominion in PNG than the story-telling, books and poetry.

The majority of this nation listens to music and song every day. And songs have the ability to stick and continually play in the minds of people. The words, aided by music, can seep easily into our sub-conscience, shaping the mindset without us even knowing it. When we constantly listen to the same thing we usually end up believing it—without even making a conscious decision to start believing. Sooner or later we start living out the kind of beliefs transmitted by the songs. Our behaviour is affected.

Human behaviour is shaped by what we constantly hear, see and read—by what is constantly communicated to us. Politicians can deliver speeches once in a while but their words do not dwell in our minds and hearts as much as songs and music. Hence politicians, despite having the authority to make laws and the macro-decisions for the country, do not have much influence on the people's behaviour. That privilege (or responsibility) lies with our song-writers and singers.

The problem however, is that much of our popular local songs are full of negative themes such as self-pity and regret, low self-esteem, loss of hope ("I give up") etc. They are un-inspiring and narrow-minded. They stimulate fleeting desires that can never be satisfied.

One song that has been very influential (to my utter disgust) is Skwatas hit Take Me to Parardise. This song opens with the phrase "Wik i kam pinis em wikend nau taim bilong kisim wara wantaim ol poroman". Those words, and the phrase "I'm living for the weekend", reinforce within young people that life has no ultimate meaning or everlasting joy, but if we compound our pleasures every weekend—by taking alcohol, dancing away and picking up a one-night stand—we may salvage some happiness. This is a dangerous message. Yet this song is (was) a hit with very young children who had yet to cement a proper outlook of life.

Then there's Tania's song Trupla Man. I once watched a TV program showcasing Tania promoting her album and that song to hundreds of kids mostly below the age of 13. Some kids (possibly aged between 7 and 10) were called to the stage and sang the chorus brilliantly: "Trupla man, wokobaut long bikpla nait. Painim mi. Em orait. Mi save long ting ting blong yu!..." (translation: "A real man. Walks in the dead of the night looking for me. That's fine. I know what you're thinking") One phrase goes "Mi tu mi man na mi gat bulut na mi nidim presens blong yu..." ("I'm human too. I got feelings (hormones) and I need you"). I thought to myself "what the heck!" These kids are singing along without a clue as to what Tania's intent was (I doubt Tania herself knew). Very early a mentality is being imbedded into their sub-conscience. That is, if your body desires something, get out there and do what it takes to satisfy your body. And if you do so you are a "trupla man" (real man)!

Songs such as these are dangerous to our society. They summon up energies and curiosities within children and young people before they built strong foundations from which they can properly direct such energy. They lack a message of hope, peace, unity and other positive themes that could energise Papua New Guineans to do the right thing. Yes we do have some of those songs ringing through the air but they're significantly outnumbered by the negatives. Songs with such words are not just harmless music and entertainment. They shape human thought. They shape the conscience. They shape culture.

If there are songwriters out there reading this, you have more power than you know. Use it well. And for politicians, if you'd like to regain some of your lost power from the singers and songwriters, I'd recommend that you ban the so many negatively-charged songs that infiltrate almost every young heart every single day in Papua New Guinea.

If we are to have a positive society with a positive culture we have to change the things that shape the minds that shape the behaviour of the people that shape our society.